CE68 EXPERIENCES AN ALT DEV WHEN DISTRACTED BY A BAGGAGE DOOR WARNING SHORTLY AFTER TKOF.

Narrative

WE HAD JUST DEPARTED APF AND WERE CLBING OUT THROUGH APPROX 6000 FT MSL WHEN AN AMBER CAS MESSAGE APPEARED ON OUR DISPLAY SCREEN INDICATING THAT THE BAGGAGE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH THE CAPT REGARDING OUR OPTIONS; I (AS THE PNF) NOTIFIED RSW DEP CTL THAT WE NEEDED TO DIVERT AND LAND AT FT MEYERS (INTL). THE CTLR BEGAN VECTORING US TO THE ARPT. WE WERE 12-10 NM FROM RSW. UNFORTUNATELY; THE CTLR MISUNDERSTOOD OUR REQUEST AND INTENTIONS. HE ASSUMED -- WITHOUT VERIFYING -- THAT WE WANTED TO LAND AT THE SMALL FT MYERS ARPT. WHEN I ASKED FOR THE CURRENT WX AND ACTIVE RWY AT FT MYERS; IT BECAME APPARENT THE CTLR WAS NOT VECTORING US TO RSW. WE CLARIFIED WHICH ARPT WE INTENDED TO USE. THE CTLR GAVE US ADDITIONAL VECTORS. I THEN TURNED MY ATTN TO THE CHKLISTS; AND ALSO OPENED THE BOOK OF APCH PLATES TO RETRIEVE THE PLATES FOR RSW. DURING THIS TIME; THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND TALKING ON THE RADIO. ALSO; DURING THIS TIME; WE WERE CLRED TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. THE CAPT APPARENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. HE THOUGHT THE CTLR SAID 2000 FT. AS I WAS GETTING THE APCH PLATES OUT; I HEARD THE CTLR ASK WHAT WE 'WERE DOING.' I LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 2400 FT. THE CAPT THEN CLARIFIED THE ALT AND WENT BACK UP TO 3000 FT. THE CAPT APOLOGIZED FOR HIS CONFUSION AND EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE INDICATING A BAGGAGE DOOR OPEN. WE LANDED AT RSW WITHOUT INCIDENT AND DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE 5 FASTENERS ON THE BAGGAGE DOOR HAD POPPED OPEN. THIS OPEN FASTENER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CAS MESSAGE IN THE COCKPIT. THE VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE HAD TO COMPLETE CHKLISTS; OBTAIN APCH PLATES; AND GET VECTORED FOR LNDG AT RSW CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAPT'S CONFUSION REGARDING THE ASSIGNED ALT. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS OUR CONCERN OVER WHAT OUR SITUATION TRULY WAS. WE DID NOT KNOW; UNTIL WE GOT ON THE GND; THAT IT WAS MERELY A FASTENER THAT HAD OPENED AND NOT THE DOOR ITSELF.